The Best PlayStation Game Every Year 1994 - 2024
3. 2022 - God of War Ragnarok
It’s easy to criticise Sony for their recent spate of iterative sequels but truly it was hard to pick many genuine faults with God of War Ragnarök. It might have taken its time to get into the best of what the experience had to offer but, when it got there, Ragnarök delivered on a storytelling and thematic level in a way that even exceeded its 2018 forebearer.
The relationship between Kratos and his son Atreus was fully brought to bear in gameplay. Combat was improved in small ways across the board to produce an overall more satisfying experience. The blurred line of open world/authored campaign was walked tightly but allowed players to truly get lost in the Norse realm. Whilst the main campaign was stuffed with locational and enemy variety to keep things fresh, its fulfilling side content was similarly fulfilling.
God of War Ragnarök was a game of real “wow” moments, made possible by the powerhouse that was the PS5 and brought to life by some stunning character performances. Christopher Judge’s portrayal of Kratos was a particular achievement and one of the game’s six 2023 BAFTAs from its record-setting thirteen nominations.
Of course building from 2018’s God of War - which was such a tight package - means that there were arguments to be made that Ragnarök suffered pacing issues and perhaps added just a few too many ingredients to the stew. Whilst the jury is still out on which game is superior, it’s fair to say that Santa Monica at least made a companion piece in Ragnarök that was worthy of Kratos’ blades.